Google secretly handed over student journalist’s financial data to ICE without court order
Google complied with an ICE administrative subpoena, providing British journalist Amandla Thomas-Johnson’s private data—including credit card numbers, bank details, IP addresses and device identifiers—without a court order or notifying him.
Thomas-Johnson was singled out after participating in a protest against defense contractors linked to Israel’s war in Gaza. His student visa was revoked, and ICE obtained his Google data under a reported gag order, preventing transparency.
This case reflects a growing pattern where DHS and ICE use administrative subpoenas to unmask activists, journalists and critics. Unlike Meta (which notified users), Google complied silently—raising concerns about corporate complicity in government overreach.
The EFF and ACLU are pressuring tech companies (Amazon, Apple, Meta, etc.) to resist unlawful subpoenas. They warn that unchecked data-sharing enables state surveillance and violates user trust, with Google alone fulfilling 28,622 subpoenas in early 2025.
Advocacy groups urge legislative changes: mandatory user notification, court approval for subpoenas, and legal challenge periods. Thomas-Johnson warns that without reform, government-Big Tech collaboration will continue to threaten free speech, press freedom and dissent.
Read Full Article: https://www.naturalnews.com/2026-02-16-google-handed-student-journalist-financial-data-to-ice.html
